Door knocker



J. P. BURKE DOOR KNOCKER July 7, 1936.

Filed Dec. 21, 1934 ATTORNEY.

Patented July 7, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DOOR KNOCKER James P. Burke, Knoxville, Tenn., assignor of one-half to M. E. Green, Knoxville, Tenn.

This invention relates to vibratory devicesand has particular reference to door knockers.

One object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described having improved means for causing vibratory action.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of the nature set forth having a single means for operatively interconnecting the several differently movable parts of the device.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of the type mentioned having few and simple parts, and which can be rapidly and easily manufactured and assembled, and which is neat in appearance, compact in arrangement, convenient in operation, and durable, reliable and efficient in use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the specication proceeds.

With the aforesaid objects in View, the invention consists in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in their preferred embodiments, pointed out in the subjoined claims, and illustrated in the annexed drawing, wherein like parts are designated by the same reference characters throughoutthe several views. y Y Y In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in vertical elevation of the invention with a part removed and shown in dotdash lines.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View taken on the broken line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectionalview on the broken line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

, The advantages of the invention as here` outlined are best realized when all of its features and instrumentalities are combined in one and the same structure, but, useful devices may be produced embodying less than the whole.

. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, that the same may be incorporated in several kdifferent constructions. The accompanying drawing, therefore, is submitted merely as showing the preferred exemplication of the invention. Y

Referring in detail to the drawing, I0 denotes a device embodying the invention. The same is intended to be illustrative of any Vvibratory device and the principles thereof are of general application in devices and machines for widely varying purposes, where intermittent action for contact, impact, agitation or Vreciprocation may be desired, for acting on a member directly or in Aan intermediate manner,

The principles of the device I0 are well and simply exempliiied in a door knocker. The device may include a base or support I I, which may be hollow as shown at I2 to operate as a sounding box or board. This support II is placed flat 5 against a door, and secured thereto as by screws. passing through the holes I3, and whereby the sounding box is substantially closed by the door, base and the marginal ange of the latter. At one end of the base, the samemay include an anvil or boss like portion I4 against which an impact may be delivered. Intermediate the ends of the base is a raised portion or platform I5, spaced from the sides of the base, and having a hole I6 therethrough for snugly receiving a bolt or rivet Il, the head whereof may lie in the chamber I2. On a side of the rivet I'I, preferably opposite to that of anvil I4, the platform may have a recess or step like portion I8 for receiving a fulcrum at the apex thereof.

A power transmitting or knocker member I9 may have a head or hammer portion |90, for actingon the anvil I4, and may be elongated longitudinally of the base. The member I9 may include a casing portion 20 comprising a front wall 2l and a pair of side walls 22, which are full open toward the base I I, and which may be closed at one end by the head, but are desirably full open at the lower or tail end of the device. The side walls 22 may have pivot projections 23 adapted to be received in the recesses 24 of the base II,

whereby the knocker member may be oscillated and in alinement with the pivotal mounting 23,

24 or as, nearly so as may be convenient, is a follower portion 21, offset from the pivot point I8, and preferably normally nonradial thereto. 45

Disposed within the casing 20, or between the knocker member I9 and base I I, is a Vibration or impulse imparting member 28 which is in a general sense movable along a different path or independently as regar-ds the knocker member. For 50 example, the member 28 may be continuously movable in one direction while the member I9 actuated thereby is causedto oscillate back and forth one or more times.

According to a particularly simple arrange- 55 mental racks may be interconnected by a base` portion or angle structure 30, which includes a wall or flange 3| overlying the abutment or platform I5. Thus the racks, together with the angle wall 30, furnish a casing fully open toward the front wall 2| of the knocker member casing, and with the teeth of the racks engageable by the follower 21. At the angle of the walls 3G, 3| is a toe or pivot element 32 which seats in the pivot recess I8 with the wall 3| spaced from the abutment I5. Through the wall 3| is a slot 33 longitudinal of the device, through which slot extends the rivet II whereby a. lost motion connection is afforded so that the actuator 28 may be angularly moved about its pivot I8, 32. To move the actuator 28, the same may have a finger piece 34 extending from the wall 30 downward out of the knocker member casing and i spaced at a considerable distance from the base The actuator 28 may have abutment engagement between the base I and the knocker member, as by causing the racks to have sliding contact with the wall 2|, but preferably a yielding abutment is provided, as by interposing a resilient means such as a coil spring 35 taking around the rivet I'I, and acting expansively between the walls 3| and 2|. In this manner the elements I8 and 32 are maintained in correct pivotal association.

To automatically move the knocker member in one direction, for instance, toward the base II, the member may be actuated gravitationally, although a resilient means may be employed. Thus the spring 35 may fulfill this additional function by suitably bearing against the wall 2|, particularly as the spring is offset from the pivot 23, 24 of the knocker member.

The pivotal mountings herein employed may be designated open pivotal means in the sense that noy pivot pins are employed, the male parts being merely dropped into the female parts.

The operation of the device will now be described, from which other functions and coordinations will become apparent. The device may be mounted horizontally or with either end uppermost, and the operator manually steadily depresses the tail piece 34 causing it to swing clock- -Wise about the pivot I8, 32, the slot 33 affording clearance with the rivet II. The rack means trips the knocker member I9 successively, by releasable actuation of the successive teeth of the racks against the follower 2l. As each tooth engages the knocker member it swings the same clockwise, and as it releases the follower, the knocker member is moved counterclockwise to cause the hammer I9a, to impinge the anvil I4, whereby a sound is generated and amplified by the sounding chamber I2. The slot 25 affords the requisite clearance for the to and fro movement of the knocker member. At the same time the spring 3 5 assures proper engagement of the parts of pivotal mountings I8, 32 and 23, 24, and causes the counterclockwise movement or return of the knocker member. In fact the spring is increasingly tensioned as the actuator 28 is angularly moved clockwise. 'I'he movements of the members I9 and 28 are thus of independently different character and are only momentarily interrelated. Upon release of the tail piece 28, the spring 35 acts against the wall 3| to swing the actuator or rack means counterclockwise, and the rack may slide or have slip engagement with the follower 21 to return the actuator to initial position with relatively insignificant or no vibration of the knocker member. It will be noted that the slip engagement mentioned is especially feasible, not only because of the non-radial relation of the rack teeth and 10 follower, but alsov because the follower or rack means are floatingly or yieldingly mounted, as

by reason of the spring 35 and the loose engage- `ments with the interconnecting means or rivet Il. For example, the pivot recess I8, while prol5 vided with one downward facing wall 3'! for effective pivotal abutment, has its other wall 38 at a very large angle, so that the fulcrum 32 may slip slightly downward thereon, if necessary, to permit the rack teeth to slide past the follower 20 in the counterclockwise direction.

it will be seen that by this invention, there are only three main parts, II, I9 and 28, which can be made as castings, without the use of cores, and that these parts and the spring 35 may be 25 assembled by use of a single rivet I'I. The device is neat and highly compact, and may be embodied in ornamental designs as by having the knocker member simulate a bird. The tail piece 34 may carry advertising or other indicia thereon.

Various interrelations of the pivot locations may be employed. Desirably the pivot I8, 32 is longitudinally spaced from pivot 23, 24 to afford a suciently long rack. By disposing these pivots on opposite sides of the rivet Il and spring 35,

a balancing relation is obtained. The actuator 28 may be maintained in initial equilibrium by abutment of the tail piece 34 against the Wall 2| as at 39.

It will be appreciated that various changes and 40- modifications may be made in the device as shown in the drawing, and that the same is submitted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense, the scope of the invention being defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A device including a support, an arcuate rack pivotally mounted on the support, and a vibratory member having an impact causing portion, said member being pivotally mounted on the base at a point intermediate the impact portion and the pivot of the rack, and said member hav ing a follower for the rack offset in nonradial relation to the center of the rack, said rack being so mounted that a movement thereof in one direction causes a vibratory movement of the member and a movement of the rack in the opposite direction may permit the rack teeth to move past the follower Without substantial vibration of the member. 50

2. A device including a support, an arcuate rack pivotally mounted on the support, a knocker member pivotally mounted on the support and having a follower actuable by the rack to cause vibration of the member upon angular movement of the rack, the rack having a base portion, and a single element passing loosely through the said base portion and the member for operatively movably securing the same to the support.

3. A device including a support, a knocker member pivotally mounted thereon, rack means pivotally mounted on the support and engaging the member so that upon angular movement of the means the knocker member is caused to vibrate about its pivot, a single element interengaging the knocker member and support and passing freely through said means so as to permit pivotal movements of the means and member, and a single resilient member acting between the means and knocker member to actuate the said means into pivotal engagement with its support and to tend to angularly move the knocker member in one direction.

4. A door knocker including a base, a knocker member mounted thereon, said knocker member including a casing portion having an opening, and manually movable means in said casing portion interengaging the knocker member and the base, said means having trip coaction with the knocker member to move the same in a directionV away from the base and to release the same for movement toward the base.

5. A door knocker including a base, a knocker member thereon having a. casing portion open toward the base, a trip member on the base received in said casing portion, said trip member having a casing portion open into the knocker member, and a resilient means in the last mentioned casing portion arranged to cooperate with said trip member for actuating an end of the knocker member in a direction toward the base, a wall of the trip member casing portion having means adapted to releasably move the knocker member in a direction away from the base.

6. A door knocker including a knocker member, a support therefor, means on the support movable in one direction for imparting a series of successive movements of the knocker member in a direction away from the support, means for causing said knocker member to be automatically movable toward the base, and lost motion means operatively interconnecting the knocker member and the said means.

'7. A door knocker including a support, a knocker member swingably mounted thereon for movement toward the support, rack means for imparting successive impulses to the knocker member to actuate the same toward and away from the support, said rack means and said support having means for open pivotal mounting of the rack means to furnish a fulcrum on the support and to permit a degree of shifting of the fulcrum of the rack means on the support, and means for yieldably urging the rack member into position at the rst mentioned fulcrum thereof.

8. A door knocker including a support, a knocker member, an arcuate rack member for imparting successive impulses to the knocker member, open pivot means for mounting the knocker member and the rack member on the support, and a pin connected to the support, said rack member having a portion in proximity to and laterally spaced from its pivot means, said pin passing loosely through the portion and the knocker member to movably secure the latter on the support and to retain the rack member pivot means in operative engagement.

9. A door knocker having a support, a knocker member, a rack member engaging the knocker member for vibrating the same, said members being pivotally mounted on the support at points spaced along the support, the point of engagement between the members being spaced from the pivotal point of the rack member so as to lie at the same side thereof as the pivotal point of the knocker member.

JAMESv P. BURKE. 

